1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing technique of printing an object displayed by the browser function of an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital copying machine-based multifunctional image forming apparatuses with many functions have recently come into practical use. The multifunctional image forming apparatus has the copy function, facsimile function, printer function, and scanner function. In addition, the multifunctional image forming apparatus has a function of saving image data obtained by scanning in a hard disk or the like, and a Web browser function of browsing a Web page (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-122279).
To operate these functions, the operation panel of the multifunctional image forming apparatus has become large in recent years. Along with this, the operation panel serves not only as an operation setting device to execute the functions, but also as a display device to monitor, for example, the operation and status of a remote device on the network. In the use of the Web browser function, the operation panel also serves as a Web page display device.
The combination of the Web browser function and printer function allows a user to easily print a Web page currently displayed on the operation panel by merely pressing the start button.
These days, leakage of highly confidential information has surfaced as a social issue, and security is getting a growing interest. Information leakage occurs in various situations. For example, in the case of the above-mentioned multifunctional image forming apparatus, information may leak from a material which is printed by the multifunctional image forming apparatus (e.g., a material printed using the Web browser function) and left unrecovered.
Particularly when many unspecified users share the multifunctional image forming apparatus, a user may forget to retrieve a printed material after designating printing from a remote location. The printout material is left unrecovered, leaking information.
To prevent information leakage in this case, for example, there is proposed a mechanism of saving print data once in a hard disk or the like in the multifunctional image forming apparatus, and when the user inputs a password in front of the apparatus, printing is started in front of the user. There is also proposed an arrangement of transmitting mail to a user who has designated printing after the end of printing.
From the viewpoint of preventing information leakage, the multifunctional image forming apparatus takes various measures against forgetting to retrieve a printed material, and prevents a printed material from being left unrecovered for a long time.
However, to prevent information leakage, the above-described method forces a user of this mechanism to perform special work to, for example, designate saving of print data in the hard disk. It is desirable to avoid information leakage in printing without any such special work by the user.
The above-described method cannot prevent a printed material from being left unrecovered for a long time when the user forgets settings. Many people who pass by the multifunctional image forming apparatus may see a highly confidential printed material. It is desired to avoid widespread information leakage as much as possible even when a printed material is left unrecovered.